Buy New Router or Keep Current Router and Revert to 1 Gig Internet?

[HighTech]

Hey folks,

I have recently upgraded from 1 Gig to 2 Gig fiber internet and would like some opinions on what to do next. I had no issues with 1 Gig speed; although, on rare occasion, streaming services would buffer for a second or two.

Below is my current setup. Obviously I did not do my homework before upgrading my internet speed, as I am still using my same router that doesn't have a 2.5G port to take advantage of the speed upgrade. Due to the location of the router, and the amount of work/expense it would require to run Ethernet cable, I have no wired connections to the router, and I don't plan to. In other words, I am sticking with a strictly wireless network.

Current Network:

• 2 Gig internet
• RT-AC86U
• 30 wireless clients
• No wired clients

Below are the routers I am considering. I am leaning toward the RT-AX86U. The price is $43 USD lower than the other 2 options, and it seems to fit my needs (100% wireless network).

• RT-AX86U Pro
• RT-AX88U Pro
• GT-AX6000

My family relies on the internet for all entertainment, work, school, and business needs. Most of our bandwidth is dedicated to streaming and gaming. I have 2 questions:

1. Being that my network is 100% wireless, will I experience a noticeable improvement after upgrading my internet speed and router, or should I keep my current router and revert back to 1 Gig service?
2. If the answer to question number one is to keep the 2 Gig speed and upgrade my router, which of the 3 listed above should I buy?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

 

[Tech Junky]

Upgrading the speed and router won't make much difference if yuu don't upgrade the clients.

If you're using an AC router now then either overhaul the whole network by using a wired router with 5/10ge ports and grab an engenius AP for $450 that's got WiFi 7.

 

[Tech9]

Thanks in advance

Revert to Gigabit service, but upgrade to RT-AX86U Pro. Your router is approaching End-of-Life.

 

[L&LD]

Welcome to the forums @HighTech.

You will see a noticeable improvement when upgrading to the RT-AX88U Pro, or the GT-AX6000 over the RT-AC86U.

A single, entry-level RT-AX68U, shows how superior AX class routers are vs. that old AC class king.

[ 386.4 alpha Build(s) ] Testing available build(s)

There are some odd regressions being discussed on the dnsmasq-discuss list from the PiHole guy (Dominik). https://lists.thekelleys.org.uk/pipermail/dnsmasq-discuss/2021q3/015598.html https://lists.thekelleys.org.uk/pipermail/dnsmasq-discuss/2021q3/015596.html I see Merlin is testing 2.86 out...

www.snbforums.com

I would not recommend 'saving' $43 and getting such an unbalanced hardware model as the RT-AX86U pro is. Even if you don't need it today, it will be worth spending that amount today when you want to sell it in the future (with 2x 2.5GbE WAN/LAN ports).

The ISP speed upgrade depends on the cost involved. Many ISPs have equal or lower prices for higher speeds as an incentive to upgrade today. In any case, you can usually try it, and if not satisfied, go back to your old plan (but you get to keep the higher-end ISP equipment... they won't come back to 'degrade' the install again).

So, to summarize, the two routers indicated above are highly recommended. Even if you don't upgrade your ISP speeds or your wireless clients.

 

[NXIL]

GT-AX6000

Have to recommend the GT-AX6000 for completely wireless, it has great wireless range and good processing power, and 2 x 2.5 gbps ports should you decide to use wired ethernet in future.

The 2.5gbps WAN port will help you get the most out of both 1gbps and 2gbps service.

I have one, 100% stable and reliable on Merlin.

 

[glens]

I augmented my setup with a GT-AX6000 not too long ago when selling for $230. I'll throw two thumbs up high about it, too. At the expense of a few square inches of extra shelf space I'd bet the RT-AX88U Pro would be quite equivalent.

 

[HighTech]

Welcome to the forums @HighTech.

You will see a noticeable improvement when upgrading to the RT-AX88U Pro, or the GT-AX6000 over the RT-AC86U.

A single, entry-level RT-AX68U, shows how superior AX class routers are vs. that old AC class king.

[ 386.4 alpha Build(s) ] Testing available build(s)

There are some odd regressions being discussed on the dnsmasq-discuss list from the PiHole guy (Dominik). https://lists.thekelleys.org.uk/pipermail/dnsmasq-discuss/2021q3/015598.html https://lists.thekelleys.org.uk/pipermail/dnsmasq-discuss/2021q3/015596.html I see Merlin is testing 2.86 out...

www.snbforums.com

I would not recommend 'saving' $43 and getting such an unbalanced hardware model as the RT-AX86U pro is. Even if you don't need it today, it will be worth spending that amount today when you want to sell it in the future (with 2x 2.5GbE WAN/LAN ports).

The ISP speed upgrade depends on the cost involved. Many ISPs have equal or lower prices for higher speeds as an incentive to upgrade today. In any case, you can usually try it, and if not satisfied, go back to your old plan (but you get to keep the higher-end ISP equipment... they won't come back to 'degrade' the install again).

So, to summarize, the two routers indicated above are highly recommended. Even if you don't upgrade your ISP speeds or your wireless clients.

Thank you for your recommendations. Now that we have it narrowed between 2 models. Do you have a preference for one over the other?

Regarding the ISP speed upgrade, I was paying $85 USD for 1 Gig and am now paying $30 more ($115 USD) for twice the speed (2 Gig). If I can actually make use of the 2 Gig, I'm thinking the price increase is reasonable for double the speed. What are your thoughts?

 

[HighTech]

Thanks to all for sharing your expertise. It is so nice to have a place to learn from others more knowledgeable than myself.

 

[Tech9]

What are your thoughts?

It all depends on how much money is $360 for you. If not much - keep 2Gbps service and get GT-AX11000 Pro instead.

 

[L&LD]

For $30/month more, I would be tempted too.

It's not the higher download speeds that would attract me, It would be the lower latency that will make my network experience 'better'.

While I have recommended the GT-AX6000 for a few years now (and still do), today, I would be looking at the RT-AX88U Pro. Particularly if they were close in price (usually, the GT-AX6000 is the better buy for virtually identical hardware). The main reason is that the RT-AX88U Pro is a two-year newer model and will be (hopefully) supported longer today.

 

[L&LD]

And I don't recommend getting a wannabe 'tri-band' router. Put that money towards a quality WiFi 7 router instead (in a few months, if they prove worth upgrading to).